Just a few weeks following YouTube Day in Jamaica at the Island Music Conference, the world’s leading video-sharing platform, has now expanded its Premium services to Jamaica, offering users an enhanced and uninterrupted viewing experience. YouTube Premium, entered Jamaica quietly two weeks ago allowing users can enjoy ad-free access, offline downloads, background playback, and a host of other features designed to amplify their YouTube experience. The list of new countries that now have YouTube Music and YouTube Premium are :
- Azerbaijan
- Jamaica
- Kazakhstan
- Libya
- Morocco
- Réunion
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Yemen
- Zimbabwe
Music fans can now download the YouTube Music App and with YouTube Premium subscription you get uninterrupted access to stream all you want on the YouTube Music app according to the website. YouTube Music is world’s largest music catalog with over 100 million songs, with personalized mixes, playlists to fit every mood, chart-toppers from around the world and more, all without ads.
YouTube offers three types of memberships: Individual, Family, and Student.
- Individual Membership: For JMD 1,249.00 per month after the trial period, users get ad-free access, downloads, and background play with YouTube Premium.
- Family Membership: For JMD 2,349.00 per month after the trial period, one subscription allows up to 5 family members (13 years old and above) in the same household to access all YouTube Premium features.
- Student Membership: For JMD 799.00 per month after the trial period, students can verify their status to enjoy ad-free videos and music, and more, all at a discounted price.
YouTube paid out over $10 billion to rights holders and creators in 2020 and 2021, as announced by Lyor Cohen, Head of Music at YouTube. Cohen emphasized YouTube’s mission to become the top contributor of revenue to the music industry by 2025 through its ads and subscriptions model. YouTube has expanded monetization to include all music formats and platforms in over 100 countries, including User Generated Content (UGC) which drove over 30% of payouts.
Additionally, Shorts, generating more than 30 billion views per day, is being monetized with long-term solutions in development. Despite criticisms of royalty rates, YouTube remains a crucial platform for artists, with Chronic Law’s track “Empty” becoming the most streamed song on the platform in Jamaica, surpassing Skeng’s “Protocol.” As of March 24, 2024, “Empty” has garnered an impressive 14.1 million views locally and over 29 million globally since its release on July 13, 2022. Chronic Law also boasts a total of 9 songs in the top 100 list, solidifying his status in the Jamaican music scene.
Skeng’s “Protocol,” which previously held the top spot, now moves to second place. Other notable entries on the list include Jahshii’s “Born Fighter” at No. 3 and Valiant’s “Dunce Cheque” at No. 5, among others.
Valiant has multiple entries on the top songs list, further demonstrating the diversity of Jamaican music on YouTube. Additionally, CeCe Winans’ traditional gospel track “Goodness Of God – Live” stands out as the only gospel song in the top ten.
The top 100 most streamed songs on YouTube Jamaica also include a mix of local and international artists, showcasing the vibrant music culture of the island.
While users may still encounter branding or promotions within the content by creators on YouTube Music, these do not disrupt the viewing experience.
YouTube Premium also allows users to download videos and playlists for offline viewing, ideal for times when an internet connection is unavailable. This feature is available on the YouTube app, YouTube Music app, and YouTube Kids app, enabling users to enjoy content on-the-go.
Other benefits include” users can play videos on their mobile devices while using other apps or when the screen is off, thanks to background play. This feature is accessible on the YouTube, YouTube Music, and YouTube Kids mobile apps, ensuring uninterrupted entertainment.
Premium users can enjoy picture-in-picture mode on their mobile devices, allowing them to watch videos while using other apps. This feature enhances multitasking capabilities and is available for long-form videos and Shorts on Android devices.
Subscribers have access to additional premium controls, including the ability to queue videos on mobile devices and tablets, modify video quality, and enjoy premium badges.
Furthermore, YouTube Premium subscribers can explore a range of other premium benefits, such as accessing exclusive content and supporting YouTube creators.
